Railroad-tie.



CHARLES G. BLANKENBURG, O F NEHAWKA, NEBRASKA.

RAILROAD-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Application filed February 2, 1912. Serial No. 674,946.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. BLANK- ENBURG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nehawka, in the county of Cass and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad- Ties, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad ties and more particularly to combined metal and wooden ties.

The principal object of my invention is to produce a practical substitute for the wooden tie now in universal use which will not only combine the advantages of the wooden tie but obviate its several disadvantages,'be of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture and easily maintained in serviceabllj condition, thoroughly eificient, and dura e.

It is a well known fact that the wooden ties as at present used have to be continually replaced because of deterioration due to the effect of the elements and soon wear out un der heavy trafiic conditions, thus entailing great expense and constituting a steady drain upon the forests of the country.

A tie constructed according to my plan will be practically indestructible and the blocks of wood which bear the brunt of wear can be readily replaced at small expense.

In the drawingsFigure l is a perspective view of my improved tie, and Fig. 2 is a similar view of the right-angled tapered plates or shoes for retaining the wooden blocks in the ends of the tie.

Referring to the drawings in which like letters of reference designate like parts, A represents the hollow met'al shank or that portion of the tie connecting its ends, said shank portion being formed approximately as shown, while B, C and D indicate the metal side-walls, bottom and part top portions respectively of the box-like end structures adapted to receive the wooden blocks E, such blocks affording the necessary resiliency for the rails. The wooden blocks fit snugly between the said side-walls and under the part top portion D.

To securely lock said blocks in position I have provided the right-angled plates or shoes F portably mounted at one end to the side-walls by means of threaded bolts or keys G which latter are fastened by nuts or other suitable means. The free ends of the plates F being first placed under the part top portion D and over the wooden blocks E positively prevent the latters displacement. It will be noticed that the rail bearing portion of these plates is slightly tapered so as to cause the rails which rest thereon to tip slightly inward or toward one another. In order to obviate any possibility of the rails spreading I have provided the rail bearing portion or" said tapered plates with shoulders H, while the apertures I in said plates allow the rails to be securely spiked to the wooden blocks.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A metal railroad tie having box-like end structures composed of side walls, a bottom portion and a part top portion, and portably mounted shoes 'or angle plates yieldably secured to said side walls.

2. A metal railroad tie having box-like end structures composed of side walls, a bottom portion and a part top portion, port-ablymounted metal shoes or angle plates yieldably secured to the side walls of the end structures and having the free end under the part top portion of said structures, said shoes or angle-plates having a slanting rail bearing surface, rail retaining shoulders and spike holes, all as and for the purpose shown. In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES G. BLANKENBURG. Witnesses:

C. BEADON HALL, F. A. BORDEKER. 

